Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

Located in the Fremont National Forest in Oregon.

This area was established in 1943 as a Wild Area and designated as a Wilderness with the Wilderness Act of 1964. In 1984, an additional 4,144 acres were added for a total of 22,823 acres. The dominant topographic feature of the Wilderness is Gearhart Mountain which is 8,380 feet at the summit. Picturesque rock formations cap most of the high-elevation ridgetops. On a clear day visitors can see the distant Steens Mountain to the east, and to the west, the Cascade peaks, from Mt. Lassen in California north to the Three Sisters. Meadow openings containing the headwaters of numerous small streams lie at the base of many of the cliffs and ridges. The Wilderness provides important summer range for the Forest's major elk herd. Rainbow trout are periodically stocked at Blue Lake, the only lake in the Wilderness. Both rainbow and brook trout inhabit the small streams.

Gearhart Mountain is in the desert/coastal transition zone of south central Oregon on the borders of Lake & Klamath counties. It Is about 12 miles northeast of Bly, as the crow flies, and about halfway between Klamath Falls and Lakeview. The wilderness is entirely within the boundaries of Bly Ranger District.

The mountain is visible for long distances and is a well-known landmark in this area. It is a broad sloping network of ridges cut between by ancient glaciers and present day streams and is topped by craggy cliffs. Elevations vary from 5,900 feet at Gearhart Creek on the northwest and Corral Creek on the southeast up to 8,364 feet at the summit.

The area is part of a continuous dry pine forest covering the transition zone. Differences in species are primarily dependent on water availability. The lower slopes tend to be dominated by white fir with a mix of ponderosa whitebark and lodgepole pines. The higher elevations are covered with pure stands of lodgepole and whitebark pine.

Scattered throughout the wilderness are beautiful mountain meadows, from the narrow "hanging" meadows along the upper reaches of small steams the expanse of Gearhart Marsh. These meadows are characterized by lush green ground cover, stands of aspen, and a multitude of spring flowers.

Gearhart Mountain gives the appearance of being a shield volcano due to its low profile. It is considered to be a "volcanic eruptive center" containing many types of rocks, but is mainly constructed of andesitic lavas. This volcano has been modified by glaciation. Evidence of glaciation is indicated by the "U" shaped canyons of the Gearhart Creek and Dairy Creek drainages and by cirques at the heads of these drainages.

In most locations the surface soils have been developed from ash which was primarily deposited by an eruption of Ft. Mazama (Crater Lake) approximately 75 air miles to the northwest. This ash is in a layer of up to two feet deep.

There are no species that are known to be unique in the wilderness, however there is a wilderness population that nearby areas cannot match in terms of variety and density. Old-growth timber, relative good distribution of water, much standing and down dead wood, and relative freedom from human intrusion all contribute to excellent habitat for forest dependent species.

Critters found on Gearhart Mountain include: Deer, coyotes, a few elk, bear and mountain lion, and a wide variety of birds such as woodpeckers, chickadees, finches, jays, juncos, ravens and hawks. Rainbow and Brook trout inhabit the lower levels of some of the area streams, and Blue Lake is stocked yearly with Rainbow Trout fingerlings.

For more information contact: The Fremont National Forest.